


Gunslinger

by BallumOasis



Category: Ballum, EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:02:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21825622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BallumOasis/pseuds/BallumOasis
Summary: Fic based on the lyrics to Gunslinger by Avenged Sevenfold.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Kudos: 25





	Gunslinger

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone.  
> back again with my second work. in this fic, callum has returned to the army.
> 
> all lyrics can be found in brackets  
> enjoy!

(yeah, you’ve been alone  
i’ve been gone for far too long  
but with all that we’ve been through  
after all this time i’m coming home to you)

callum had never expected to have to go back to the army. after his leg injury, he thought it was over for good, the dream of his younger self shattered. but, here he was, laying on his makeshift bed in his pit, a thousand miles away from home. he was clutching a small photo of himself, ben and lexi that he’d managed to smuggle into his kitbag. he often thought of how ben was doing without him, how he’d coped. he remembers so vividly the day he got the phone call from his captain calling him back to service, and the shouting match that ensued when he had to break the news to ben and lexi. he’d been gone for around 18 months now, and he’d hated every minute being away from home, where he belongs. but finally, he was coming home.

(never let it show  
the pain i’ve grown to know  
cause with all these thing we do  
it don’t matter when i’m coming home to you)

he’d longed to be back in bens arms the second he’d left the flat. the pain he felt turning his back on the square, on his ‘normal’ life. he still felt that twinge of pain, along with a newfound sadness for the comrades he’d lost. the little contact he’d been allowed with ben, and lexi on occasion, had been tough. he put a wall up when face timing them, the shell of him looking stoic as he listened to the changes that plagued the square. but, everything callum did, he did for his family, to protect them. all the things he done, the fighting, the saving, the running, the living in fear, it was all for them. but, all those things didn’t matter, when he knew he was going home to ben.

(i reach towards the sky i’ve said my goodbyes  
my hearts always with you now  
i won’t question why so many have died  
my prayers have made it through)

every time before a mission, callum would sit in the rec room, the picture in hand. he was never a religious person, but he’d look up towards the starry sky and pray that he’d live to fight another day. he didn’t know who or what he was praying to, but he knew he wasn’t ready to leave ben alone and heartbroken like he once was before they’d got together. callum would never question why his comrades had perished or why he couldn’t save every civilian, because he thought that if he’d questioned it, it may cause his own fate to change, and he didn’t want to risk that.

(cause with all these things we do  
it don’t matter when i’m coming home to you)

callum spent most of his time reminiscing. the events of years previous still occupied in his brain. the botched wedding, him coming out to his homophobic dad, him getting with ben. thinking of his old life was the best thing for him, it took his mind away from the reality of his situation. it stopped him from going too deep inside his head, the things he’s seen and done etched deep in his being. he often had to remind himself that those terrible things didn’t matter, because at the end of it all, he was going home to the man he loved.

(letters keep me warm  
helped me through the storm  
but with all that we’ve been through  
after all this time i’m coming home to you)

letters were an integral part of a soldier’s tour. letters allowed the soldiers to feel closer to home, to know that after a long mission someone was out there waiting on their return. it helped them through the stormy weather of losing friends, brothers, because that’s what the army is, a brotherhood, a family away from family. on the rare occasion they were allowed to receive their mail from home, envelopes would often be scattered around the pit. this was no different from callum. he would rip every envelope open like a ravenous beast. he loved receiving letters from anyone on the square, but he craved the opportunity to hear from ben, almost as though he couldn’t function without it. bens letters would always end with the same one line, ‘can’t wait for you to be back in my arms again’. as callum read  
the latest instalment of his letters from ben, the last line brought fresh tears to his eyes, as every letter always did. soon, he really would be home.

(i reach towards the sky i’ve said my goodbyes  
my hearts always with you now  
i won’t question why so many have died  
my prayers have made it through yeah)

this was it. the last mission of the long tour. the job was simple. get in, secure the compound, get out. no matter the simplicity of the mission, callum still got nervous. he’d still carry out his same routine, praying today was not his day. he needed to make it home to see ben again. he would always say goodbye though, just in case the outcome was different. he couldn’t leave without having everything off his chest. 

(cause with all these things we do  
it don’t matter when i’m coming home to you)

they’d done it. the compound had been secured and was back in the hands of the local military. the number of casualties was low. a sigh of relief escaped callums lips as the final insurgent was neutralised. the things callum had seen this tour were worse than those previously, and he wondered how he’d cope afterwards, the pain of being back there in his dreams, the flashbacks, the constant living on edge every time he heard a bang or someone shouting. but, none of that mattered in that moment, because it had been confirmed. he was finally heading home, back where he belonged. 

(i’ve always been true  
i’ve waited so long just to come home to you  
i’m making it through)

2 years. 2 years since he’d seen his family, his friends. he couldn’t quite believe he was finally going home. he’d waited too long to see ben again. he’d missed birthdays, christmases, anniversaries. everyday, he’d cross the days off the pocket calendar in the back of his notebook, that was the way he made it through. and finally it was all working out.

(it’s been far too long, we’ve proven our  
love over times so strong, in all that we do  
the stars in the night, have leant me there light  
to bring me closer to heaven with you)

this had been by far their toughest test as a couple. 2 gruelling years of limited contact. but soon callum would be home and it would all be over. as they walked to the helicopter to start the journey home, callum looked up to the sky. the stars were out, his memory flooding with the thoughts of the first time they’d got together. the stars were the constant. the small amounts of light they emitted had brought them together, and kept them together. in callum’s mind, ben was the biggest, brightest star in the sky.

(cause with all that we’ve been through  
after all this time i’m coming home to you)

the first thing callum done after disembarking the helicopter was use the phone in the hanger to call jay. they’d had the idea before callum had left to make callum’s return a massive surprise. jay was to pick him up from base, put him in a giant box to transport to the vic, where jay would get ben to meet him for a drink, and halfway through the night, callum would jump out, surprising the whole pub. the only people in on the idea were jay and mick. however, what they didn’t know, was that callum had his own little trick up his sleeve, he was going to propose. he’d squared it with phil before he’d left, and phil could only smile and explain to callum the positive changes he’d seen in his son as a result of their relationship. sitting in the hanger awaiting jays arrival, callum watched his brothers reunite with their loved ones. he couldn’t wait to feel how they felt in just a few hours time.

(i reach towards the sky i’ve said my goodbyes  
my hearts always with you now  
i won’t question why so many have died  
my prayers have made it through yeah)

seeing jay pull up was a surreal experience. callum couldn’t believe just how lucky he’d got, having great friends, a great family. he always felt he never deserved it, no matter how much everyone protested against his claims. however, he was not enjoying his current predicament. he was sat in the box close the corner of the pub. luckily, with it being christmas, he blended in with the grottos decoration. every so often, he’d feel a pounding on the side of the box, the voices of the kids as they spoke of their excitement for the big day. 

(cause with all these things we do  
it don’t matter when i’m coming home to you)

callum was undeniably nervous. he’d heard the mitchell clan enter the pub, along with other residents such as kathy and stuart. he’d been sat in the box for near on 2 hours. he could hear every word ben uttered, his voice laced with the same hurt as the day callum had left. callum couldn’t wait any longer. as quietly as he possibly could be, he tore his way through the cardboard, paper and tape. the pub went silent as everyone spotted him, every pair of eyes scanning his figure as he stood towered over ben. he could sense the confusion in ben as he slowly began to turn around, the audible gasp that escaped his mouth as he left his chair echoing through the walls of the vic. the sound of cheering and whistling erupted as the boys embraced for the first time in years, drowning out the sound of bens sobs.

——

“you- you’re back!” ben exclaimed through his tears. callum didn’t utter a word, he didn’t need to in that moment. he was too caught up in the emotion. as ben pulled away from the embrace, he took in callum’s appearance properly for the first time. he was still in his army camos, his beret sitting firmly on his head. ben looked around to see everyone’s gazes on them, locking eyes with his dad, who sat there with a knowing smile on his face. as ben turned back to face callum, he couldn’t make site of him. hearing a chorus of gasps from the watching spectators, he looked down to see callum on one knee. the tears began to flow harder from bens eyes.

“ben, i would’ve done this sooner, too bad my other commitments got in the way” callum started, earning a light chuckle from everyone in the pub, “i won’t stand here and say the journeys been easy, because we both know it hasn’t. from the first time we got together to now, the road has been long and bumpy. spending two years without you made me realise that i don’t ever want to spend another moment without you ever again, which is why i’m doing this here today. being away also made me realise that there’s so much time we’ll never get back, and while i have the chance, i have to take it” callum was speaking from the heart. he’d never expected it to get so deeply emotional, but he was right. he’d missed so much time while he was away, he would never forgive himself for not taking the opportunity if something were to happen. there wasn’t a dry eye in the pub. even a stray tear rolled down phils cheek, he was proud of his son. “and with all that we’ve been through, after all this time i’m coming home to you. so ben, will you do me the honour of becoming my husband” callum finished his ramblings. the time stood still as he looked up at ben, and before he knew it, he was eye level with his boyfriend, sealing their engagement with a kiss. a loud cheer erupted from the square, and in that moment callum was ecstatic. 

he was home, where he belonged.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading  
> please leave any comments, good and bad, to allow me to get a feel for what is liked and what can be improved. also, please leave any suggestions you may have :)


End file.
